Commonsense Hand Power Tool Safety Tips
My Dad worked as a carpenter most of his life. He thought nothing about regaling us with on the job accidents over the dinner table. Although eventually these stories became amusing (and toughened our stomachs), they were also some not-so-subtle lessons on commonsense hand power tool safety tips. Here are some of the things I've learned from Dad's dinner entertainment.
Always Be Sober
Being sober doesn't necessarily mean just refraining from alcoholic beverages. If you are taking a new medicine that has a warning "may cause drowsiness", stay away from hand power tools. When you are drowsy or have some trouble coordinating yourself, then that's when accidents happen.
Wear Sensible Clothing
Hand power tools seem to be a magnet for just about any clothing material as well as long hair. Getting clothing or your hair caught into the hand power tools can cause you to loose your balance and make the tool jump erratically. If you have long hair, always be sure it's tied securely in a ponytail. Don't wear long, floppy sleeves or long, dangling necklaces.
Also, always wear some sort of eye protection. Hand power tools can give off very, very fine particles of material that try and zero in on as many eyeballs as possible. Depending on what material you are working on, the fumes might also sting your eyes or make them water. You do not need blurry vision when using hand power tools.
Always Know Where Your Cords Are
Although hand power tools are often cordless now, back in the late 1970's, when Dad began telling his dinnertime stories, they nearly always had cords. Cords are extremely easy to trip on. This not only leads to the tripper falling on his nose, but the hand power tool becoming airborne. Trust me, you don't ever want your hand power tool to suddenly become airborne when it is turned on.
This safety tip doesn't just apply to hand power tools that need to be plugged in. If you are working anywhere, you need to know where the electric cords are for anything nearby - whether it's a boom box, phone or whatever. Just being aware of all the cords in the room can help you trip with a tool running.
Don't Be Macho
The best hand power tool safety tip Dad gave us was to not touch a tool unless we knew what the tool was, how it worked and what it was for. Don't pretend you know a tool when you don't. The trip to the emergency room does not impress your foreman, boss or spouse.
